Hoping to improve academic success and reduce chronic absences, a high school in Mansfield, Ohio, is piloting a new curriculum to teach teens how to get a good night’s sleep.

“It might sound odd to say that kids in high school have to learn the skills to sleep,” Mansfield health teacher Tony Davis told the Associated Press. “But you’d be shocked how many just don’t know how to sleep.”

The class, “Sleep to Be a Better You,” appears to be having an impact, as the absence rate has dropped from 44% in 2021 to a current 32% – still high, but a start.

Studies have shown that teens are overworked, overstressed and more sleep-deprived than ever, and that could be linked to mental health and behavioral issues.

Adolescents need eight to 10 hours of sleep, but nearly 80% get less, with most averaging six hours, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Teens in the class were asked to log their nighttime sleep habits, and 50% revealed falling asleep while holding cellphones.

By making some changes to bedtime routines – including putting down devices – some class participants are reporting feeling better and more alert during the school day.

— Herald-Standard, Uniontown